EAST LANSING - They kissed the 'S', they raised the banner. But it took Draymond Green and Tom Izzo to cheer up Breslin.

"I'm going to send you home with this: Everybody cries, everybody laughs, everybody goes through a lot. As Gregory Kelser just said to me, you know they lost the last game in '79 to Wisconsin and tied for the Big Ten Championship. And after that, they got some work done.

"We talk a lot about the former players, we talk a lot about the fans, we happen to have four new players here today that are going to be hopefully carrying this burden of this. And it is a burden. When I think about last year, we apologized for going to an NCAA tournament. And I almost feel like apologizing for not winning the Big Ten Championship outright.

"So when you leave here, for me, it's going to be harder for me, put a smile on your face. Understand where you're at. You look at our football, we look at our basketball, our hockey, our women's basketball, when you look at all of our programs, baseball coming up, you're in one hell of a spot. If championships are something to morn a little bit, it shows you we're all pointing int he right direction. But don't forget to enjoy the moment.

"It's a hell of a group. I been around a lot of groups; it ranks right up there with the top. And if you come back, thank those guys. I don't know how many are here. Thank these guys. Thank the players. Get ready for the Big Ten Tournament. We're going to go win our Championship back."